


Rekindling

by WitchyTwitchy



Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: Alex is only mentioned along with Bretman, Angst, Destorm also has ptsd, Destorm is revived instead of Colleen, F/M, Male/Female Friendships, Ro and Destorm friendship was robbed, hurt/slight comfort, love that for him, pirates are asses, there's reasons for it, they are their roles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:33:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22579414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WitchyTwitchy/pseuds/WitchyTwitchy
Summary: In a situation where DeStorm is forced into being helpless, a light begins to relight his dark heart.
Relationships: The Enforcer | DeStorm Power & The Socialite | Rosanna Pansino
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	Rekindling

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh-"

Chains wrap around his wrists, locking him tightly to some sort of stone beneath him. He's only been back for a few minutes, and already he's been captured before he can help the team. Of course, he had good reasons, but that didn't make the nagging voice in his head shut up about it.  
The voice yells at him; saying that he just showed the team that they had made a mistake with bringing him back. He was brought back because he could - according to Alex - 'save people' , and , 'help solve any puzzles'. Yet here he was, trapped, while the other three men raced against pirates to solve the real puzzle. The one that would help them get the key. 

"This is so bad!" The girl next to him wailed, "Destorm! What are we supposed to do? We're trapped!"

How the hell is he supposed to know? He's been dead! He can barely wrap his head around the fact that there's a bunch of pirates here, that his girls are dead, and now the Socialite is putting him in charge? Asking him about what he thinks? Is this girl crazy?  
Nonetheless, he looks over at Rosanna, and his dark eyes watches as she tries to drag the stone. Surprisingly, she can drag it a decent amount, but the chains make too much sound and she won't be able to outrun the pirates in this shape. 

The Enforcer decides to tell her the obvious. Considering she's still trying to make her escape with the stone, and he doesn't want anything bad to happen to her. "For starters, how 'bout you stop doing whatever it is you're doin' - cause that ain't gonna help nothing." And despite her upset look, she stops and obeys. 

It's so weird to be thrown back in this cycle of death. It's so bizarre that there's no longer a gaping hole in his stomach where that Emperor's sword hit him. Everything about this makes his mind work a mile a minute, and he doesn't know how Alex expected him to cope with this. Especially without...without Gabbie and Tana constantly running around. Alive. Safe.  
But there's nothing he can do for them by being a prisoner, so he has to do something. Especially for Ro, who is staring at him with her doe eyes- waiting for him to take the lead. 

First, he turns around to watch the boat with the others on it. Taking in how Bretman and Joey feverishly row towards their dock, while the Novelist ( because to him Alex will never be the Aviator ) hits the pirates chasing them with buckets of cold water. His first instinct is to help them first, and once he looks down at the shore- he spots a skull they're probably looking for. DeStorm motions Ro with his gloved hand, and points at the skull- causing the girl to bounce up and down with excitement. She looks like she won some sort of beauty pageant, with her bright smile and furious clapping.  
As much as he tries to hold it back, he does at least smile slightly at her enthusiasm, before trying to alert the others about where their next skull was. 

"Hey! Hey! There's a skull right there!" He shouts boldly. "Beneath the trees we're by! Come and get it!"

Only Joey looks towards him, but his face looks confused. DeStorm groans and tries again. 

"The tree!"

"DeStorm! Hey- you should stop-"

"Dear god boy!" The Enforcer snaps. "Just row to where we are! You'll find it on the edge of the-"

Before he knows it, his face is yanked forwards and a sharp pain seers into his cheek. He doesn't stumble - because he never stumbles from an attack - but he does grunt in pain. His chained hands come up to touch at the reddening skin softly, and it's only then that he realizes he's been slapped by the cackling pirate bitch in front of him. She looks so proud of herself too, giggling and smiling at him all mockingly. DeStorm narrows his eyes at her and keeps his expression neutral, watching as she finally settles down from her laughing fit.  
Ro is apologizing to him profusely, saying she tried to warn him, but he doesn't really blame her anyways. It was just a slap. A disrespectful one, since she didn't use the back of her hand, but just a slap. He's been shot in the heart and impaled by a sword. The pain is nothing compared to everything else he's been through. 

The pirate sneers at him then, drawing her decently long knife from her belt. "Next time listen when I'm talking to ya! But then again, it's not like you'll be 'round much longer.." She drawls out the last part, eyes lighting up wickedly. "Once cap'n gets back, you'll be walking to plank…" 

The chubby blonde then turns to Ro, flashing her rotting teeth at the poor girl. "But you on the other hand...will be dragged off of it, girlie!"

Rossanna pales, mouth opening in protest as she processes the unnecessary threat thrown her way. DeStorm can hardly get why this pirate would ever see Ro as a threat, or why they would even try to drag her off the plank in the first place. Nonetheless, something in him gets defensive and angry at the image in his mind. Picturing the woman getting dragged anywhere was enough to set him off; and he feels himself scoff at the pirate to draw her away from Ro.

"Pick on someone your own size; that little nugget couldn't hurt you even if she tried!" Normally he wouldn't be so mouthy, but he's beyond the point of caring. DeStorm wouldn't give into anything anymore. "Besides, worry about your biggest problem here...me." 

Just like that, the edge of the pirate's sword is drawn towards his throat. And yeah, he might've been talking big game earlier, but the sword gives him a feeling he isn't quite used to. Fear. Nostalgia. Flashing images of some Emperor, smirking too wide, and slamming his sword into his stomach. Blood gushing out as he collapses to the checkered ground. Dead in seconds. No chance..  
DeStorm flinches, showing his fear, and wrenches his eyes shut. It's instinct. He can't fight it, no matter how embarrassing. His hands fly up towards his stomach to protect it- and he hears the pirate snort in amusement at his clear nervousness. 

"DeStorm.." is all that comes out of Ro's mouth, full of pity.

"Guess your balls aren't as big as you 'tought, ey?" The blonde leers. "All it took was this sword to scare ya shitless! Guess you aren't my biggest problem after all, you coward." The pirate retracts her sword back to her sheath, and giggles, crazed. "Now both of ya'll be good little birdies, and stop being so loud - ya hear? Wouldn't want you ta piss your pants twice before ya die!"

DeStorm doesn't open his eyes, not even as he hears her walk away. He keeps them closed, his chest tight with anxiety, and doesn't remove his hands. He doesn't want to accept that he just gave in, that death really shook him so hard the second time, that Alex might've been wrong to rely on him-  
The Enforcer doesn't even realize he's shaking until a soft hand grabs his shoulder. His body tenses, and the hand retracts; a quiet apology drifting into his ears. Ro is patient, moreso then he would've been, and it takes him a few moments to calm down. His breathing is a bit ragged, shaky even, and he tries to focus on the fact that he's currently alive. That his stomach is closed. And that he is perfectly safe...It's only after a minute or two later that he tries to open his eyes. His mouth turned into a frown as he tries to blink away the tears. 

His most vulnerable moment yet. And he feels disgusting.

"I'm sorry." Ro approaches the topic carefully. "Are...are you okay? I can look for a way out! And- and you can take another moment or two!" She really seems to mean it. 

DeStorm realizes then that she knows why he panicked like that...because she had seen his death first hand. Had a front row seat even. As clear as the night - since the day wasn't a thing he remembered much of anymore - he could recall her gasp when he cheated on purpose. 

DeStorm pauses, hesitant, but is sure to choose his words carefully. "It's fine. Gettin' outta here will help me better than anything else right now." And Ro gets the message, nodding, before a serious look crosses on her face.  
Ro has seen all kinds of sides of him that he forgot existed…Damn, he knows it might be a mistake on his part, but his heart warms - and Destorm realizes he might have someone else to live for. 

And, after all, if he couldn't bare to upset Alex - he couldn't bare to upset someone like Rossanna either.  
So, he might as well save the little girl the tears, and stick to surviving this thing from now on.


End file.
